My best friend
by TanyaM
Summary: Wyatt is five years old, it's time for kindergarten – new friends, a chance at a normal childhood. What lies ahead? Can a Charmed One run away from magic? What's a family all about? What's going on in the magical world? In a way, his best friend's story
1. Beginnings

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own Charmed. 

  


Wyatt is five years old, it's time for him to go to kindergarten – meet new friends, have a chance at a normal childhood. What lies ahead? Can a Charmed One really run away from magic? What's a family all about? And, what's going on in the magical world? In a way, this is the story of his best friend.

  


_I. Beginnings_

  


It was yet another morning in the Halliwell manor. A sleepy Paige came down the stairs... "Coffee..." she thought to herself. Ever since she had gotten that promotion, she had the feeling of not getting enough sleep. Maybe being a full-time witch and having a career didn't go together, after all. "I wonder how Phoebe manages it..." she thought, with a hint of jealousy. "Time for coffee" - her sleepy brain refused to change the subject. Yet, a few steps from the kitchen, she stopped. 

  


"But the Woods Academy?"

"I only want what's best for him, Leo."

"And you think I don't? He is my son too, Piper..."

"Then, why don't you agree to send him at Woods Academy? You said yourself that is the best from the ones we saw."

"Yes, Piper, it has nice buildings, lots of free space, and it offers lots of activities, for sure. But, judging from the cost of tuition, his schoolmates will be spoiled rich kids, and I don't want that for our son. His destiny lies in helping people."

"Therefore, we should offer him all the best we can in order be able to cope with his call. And, the school has a very good curriculum, and very good teachers. I liked Mrs. Smith a lot. She seems experienced, and a very good person. And, you can't know that his schoolmates will be spoiled children... Furthermore, this school seems very protective of privacy, and that's definitely a plus."

"Piper, if our son should do anything to expose his powers in public, nothing will save him or us. And that's part of the reason I would prefer if we skipped kindergarten altogether. Maybe if he went to school next year, when he is older..."

"No, Leo... we can't deprive him of a normal life. He should go out and make friends. And, we can't keep him in the manor forever, Leo. Sooner or later, this time will come."

"Yes, but better later."

"Wyatt is a responsible and intelligent kid, Leo. He will make it."

Leo sighed. Inside, he knew that it was useless fighting with his wife; she had her share of the well-known Halliwell stubbornness...

  


The conversation she overheard woke Paige completely up. Wyatt – her absolutely favorite nephew, the sweetest and most adorable creature ever to walk on earth – was five years old. It was time for him to go to kindergarten. But then, ever since he was born, or even before that, he had shown that he was a magical being of great power. A power deemed necessary to protect him from the evil that had tried to get to him; that's why Leo and Piper had decided not to bind his powers. But, those powers threatened to deprive him of a normal childhood, or at least whatever of that could be salvaged from growing up in the Halliwell manor, with demons attacking sometimes on a daily basis. "The price of being Charmed", she thought, not without a bitter taste. "Too much of a burden for a small kid." Even if that kid was Wyatt Matthew Halliwell. 

  


Despite of her trying to seem calm and optimistic, Piper shared Leo's worries. Even though Wyatt was an intelligent and very responsible kid, he was just that: a kid. A child with great magical powers, that he had used on several occasions. She knew that he would understand the need to hide this magical gift from the rest of the world, but still she wasn't sure if he could keep this promise for such a long time, and especially among other children. 

"Couldn't you use some memory dust if something went wrong?"

"Piper, memory dust isn't something that you just..."

"OK, just asking..."

"I guess we'll have to have a very serious talk with Wyatt about school and his powers..."

"Yes, but you know, all children go to school. Including magical ones."

"I know honey, and believe me, I hope for the best."

  


A few days later, Wyatt was enrolled at the kindergarten of Woods Academy.

  



	2. Time for school

Thanks for the kind reviews! Here comes the second chapter...

  


_II. Time for school_

  


Leo was the first to get up that morning. In fact, one might say that he hadn't slept at all; he had kept twisting around, trying to avoid the thought of what might happen if... As the first rays of sunshine entered their room, he tried to get out of bed, and woke up Piper in the process.

"Good morning honey..." said Piper sleepily. "What time is it?"

"It's 5:30 baby... Go back to sleep..."

"And what are you doing up at 5:30 in the morning?"

"Charges, you know..." he tried to lie. What could he say, that he was scared to death at the thought of his son going to kindergarten?

Piper saw through this, though. "And why aren't you orbing straight out?" she asked, not really expecting an answer. After all, she knew the state Leo was in; his twisting around had kept her from sleeping as well.

Leo smiled sheepishly. "I love you, baby" he said and kissed her.

"And, you are still terrified at the thought of Wyatt going to kindergarten. Honey, we have been over this so many times... and we have talked to him at least six times. He is a smart and responsible kid; he will not expose himself. There is no reason be afraid."

"You tell that to him," said Leo, as he saw Wyatt who entered their room and hurried into their bed, between his parents.

"Wyatt, darling, what are you doing up so early in the morning?" asked Piper.

"Mommy, I don't want to go to school..."

"Baby, it is going to be very nice, you will meet other kids, make friends... And you will have a wonderful teacher, Mrs Smith, who will take very good care of all of you."

"Will you be there too, mommy?"

"I will bring you there, but no, moms don't stay at school, baby. But you will have such a good time that you will not know I am gone, and then auntie Paige is going to pick you up in the afternoon..."

"I don't want to go without you..."

"You will like it honey, I promise..." Piper said, as she rocked her son back to sleep. 

"Well, I guess that gives our son the first important lesson of his school life" said Leo.

"And that would be?"

"There's no use arguing with moms..."

"You keep that in mind..." she said, as she gave him a sweet smile.

  


Later that same morning, Piper and Wyatt arrived at Woods. Even though she tried to hide it, Piper was anxious how Wyatt was going to react. To her relief, he seemed so enthusiastic when he saw the other children, he pulled his hand from hers trying to run away from her, to them.

"Just wait a bit, baby" she said. "First we are going to meet your teacher." She looked around, and after a few moments she saw Mrs Smith standing at the entrance of the building.

"Good morning Mrs Smith; this is Wyatt Matthew Halliwell."

"Hello Mrs Halliwell. Good morning Wyatt; nice to meet you." She said, as she lowered to his level to offer him a handshake. "I am Mrs Smith; I am going to be your teacher for this year."

"Good morning Mrs Smith" said a rather shy Wyatt. 

"Why don't you take him over there with the other children, Mrs Halliwell?"

"Sure Mrs Smith, thank you," said Piper. They approached the group of playing children, and again Wyatt tried to hurry to them.

"So, I'll leave you here to play, Wyatt. Auntie Paige is going to pick you up at 4 in the afternoon. Just remember, be a good kid, be careful..." she lowered to him... "and no magic" she whispered in his ear.

"I love you, mommy" said Wyatt.

"I love you too, baby" said a rather worried Piper. She knew that Leo had just cause to worry. But, seeing a happy Wyatt joining the rest of the playing children she felt that it was worth the risk. She only wanted her son to have a normal childhood.

When leaving, she she took a look at other parents bringing children to the kindergarten. She remembered Leo's words "his schoolmates will be spoiled rich kids..." She caught a glimpse of two beautiful young women, both looking around thirty, both accompanying their five-year olds. The taller one, a dark-haired boy with green eyes, gained Piper's attention at once: he seemed to have the confidence of Denis the menace. The other one was a rather shy little girl, that looked up to the boy with enthusiasm.

Piper looked at the woman that was accompanying the boy, as she kissed the little one goodbye: "Now, Ben, be a good boy..." and then she whispered something in his ear. Piper smiled at the sight. The two women watched Ben and the little girl joining their classmates, and then headed towards Piper. 

"First time for you too..." said Piper.

"Yes... and he can be trouble," smiled the woman that was accompanying them. "I can only pray that the school is still in place when I come to pick him up. How about yours?"

"Oh, Wyatt is a relatively quiet kid... but you know, at this age they can all be trouble. By the way, I am Piper Halliwell."

"Daniella, Daniella Parker," said the young woman. Piper got a more careful look at her: a dark-haired, rather tall young woman with green eyes, wearing something that could be a designer suit – it certainly looked expensive. Rather friendly, yet still distant. Piper shook off the thought – her many years of experience in witchcraft had made her constantly suspicious, even where she obviously didn't need to be. "Nice to meet you, Piper."

"And I am Alice Jones", said the blond woman with the girl. Piper couldn't help thinking that she was impressive; she had a wonderful face, that was complimented by two large brown eyes. _If the eyes are the mirror of the soul_, thought Piper, _then she has a very good heart. _"I am Kate's mother."

"Nice to meet you," said Piper. It was indeed nice to meet someone outside the magical circles. It had been so long... and she wanted so badly to have a life outside the magical world. 

"So, I'll see you around, I guess..." said Daniella. "Have a nice day."

"Thank you, you too," said Piper, as she took one last look at the women. She couldn't help thinking that Daniella seemed familiar, but then, she smiled at her own stupidity. With all those people she met every night at P3, the odds were that she had met her or someone else who looked like her... And, could possibly Wyatt's school life offer her as well a glimpse of normal life? Just meet and talk to some normal people? 

Piper tried to shook off that thought. So many years of living as a witch, and, deep inside, she still wished for a normal life. A life she knew she would never have. But, even the illusion of it was so tempting...


	3. Wyatt? That's a strange name!

Thanks to all of you who reviewed, it really helps! Here comes the kindergarten itself, and let's take a look at Wyatt's new friends...

  


_III. Wyatt? That's a strange name..._

  


As soon as he got himself out of his mother's grip, Wyatt almost run to the other children. Oh, no, this little guy didn't have any confidence problems; how could somebody vanquishing demons since before he could even remember have any? But, then, those were not demons – they were little kids, and they were going to have fun, just like when all those kids had come to the manor for his birthday. No, not exactly – these kids weren't magical... but nevertheless, they were kids. 

Growing up in an adult environment, Wyatt really missed the occasions to socialize with other kids. Sure, his mother and his aunts tried to spend time with him; but it just was not the same.He really loved the rare occasions when other kids came to the manor, or when he went to another kid's party, where he could meet other children and play. But, given the busy manor life, demon vanquishing was a much more common sport than anything else. And, there weren't that many magical children around – unfortunately, there is no such thing as a Hogwarts kindergarten or daycare, as much as Piper would have wished for one...

Nevertheless, Wyatt was very excited about meeting other kids. Of course, he didn't forget what his parents had kept telling him - "no magic, no magic, no magic..." Wyatt had started to get annoyed about that – there was no use in telling him a thousand times, after all he was no baby! He certainly knew when to use magic, he even knew about the "no personal gain" rule; this stupid rule his daddy kept reminding him of when he tried to use magic to play or to make his bed and his room...

Anyway, he had promised not to use any magic, and he was going to keep his promise... After all, demons are one thing, kids are another. Wyatt took a deep breath as he realized that he should really walk over to those kids and introduce himself. Should he really? There came another deep breath – maybe vanquishing demons wasn't that bad after all. _No, I have to do it_, he thought, as he looked to find any remaining courage. With that, he walked over to another boy. 

"Hi, I am Wyatt", he said with the last bit of courage left. Maybe that was not that bad – the other boy actually smiled at him.

"Wyatt? That's a strange name... I am Johny."

The comment kind of hurt Wyatt's feelings, but he decided to overcome it. After all, it wasn't worse than what he had expected, and, at least, that guy didn't throw a fireball at him. 

"Do you like Pokemon?" Johny asked him. 

That was the start of a vivid discussion – of course he loved Pokemon, who didn't? He always thought that it was kind of magic, but nice magic, with no demons and no grown-ups! And, it turned out that Kate, Nicole and Ben liked Pokemon too. Thus, a little while afterwards, when Mrs Smith tried to get the small company of Pokemon fans into their classroom, she had some trouble to... 

Albeit their disagreement, Mrs Smith managed to gather her class; after all, she was a very experienced teacher. In her honest moments, she would tell that she had been dealing with children as long as she could remember herself; and that, as she would admit with a smile, was a long time, even though she wouldn't show it. 

"Well, class, I am Mrs Smith: I will be your kindergarten teacher for this year. During this year, we will make new friends, learn new things, and have a nice time. But why don't we start by introducing yourselves? Just tell us your name and something about you? Maybe something that you like?"

Johny started first. "My name is Johny, and I like Pokemon!"

Ben and Wyatt exchanged a quick look – _yeah, we know that!_

"I am Joyce, and I like Britney Spears!" 

"I am Dave, and when I grow up, I want to study computers."

Mrs Smith smiled at the youngster's resolution. "Very well, Dave!"

"I am Joyce, and I love my Barbie!"

_Barbie?_ _Girls... _

"I am Kate, and I like going to the restaurant with my mommy." 

Wyatt was still looking at Kate when he realized that it was his turn. What did he like?

"I am Wyatt, and I like when my mom reads me fairy tales..."

It was so spontaneous; he loved it when Piper read him stories at bedtime. They had their own magic, and she always used to tell him that fairy tales were real, and that the seven dwarfs had once come to take care of him when he was still a baby; being accustomed to magic and demon attacks, he could very well believe that. But he had always wondered why his mom had told him never to mention Cinderella in front of aunt Phoebe. 

His quick train of thoughts by Paul's comment: "Fairy tales are for girls! They are not real. I like Batman, he is cool!"

"No they..." Wyatt came to an sudden stop as he realized that he was going to tell him that fairy tales were real; but those kids didn't know anything about magic...

"Batman isn't real either" Ben jumped in to defend his new friend. 

"So what?" said a semi-offended Paul.

"So nothing" said a calm Ben. "But you can't say that fairy tales are not real and that you prefer Batman instead, it makes no sense."

Seeing the introduction getting out of hand, Mrs Smith intervened. "Children, please, let's go on with the introductions. We heard that Paul here likes Batman, so let's hear from the rest.... Nicole?"

Nicole smiled, and Wyatt thought that was one of the nicest smiles he had ever seen.

"I am Nicole, and I like drawing houses and trees and flowers and the sun!"

"I am Lizzy," said a shy voice next to Nicole, "and I like going to the beach and swimming."

Wyatt's eyes were still fixed to Nicole, when he heard his new friends voice.

"I am Ben, and I like it when my dad is at home and we sit all together."

"OK class, nice to meet you all. I am sure we are going to have a very nice time together. Now, each of you go over the left side of the room and pick up the toy you like best? Just without any noise?"

The kids rushed over to the toys, but they didn't take any attention to the "without any noise" part. _Well, it never works anyway_, thought Mrs Smith. 

Another school year had just begun. She knew that her work there had just begun – and, with those kids, it was not going to be easy, she knew that. Working with kids had never been an easy task; she knew that dealing with them, and, not to forget, dealing with their parents was no going to be easy. But then she knew what an impact early education would have in those youngsters' lives, and how her work could influence them. Being a teacher is a very responsible job; a good teacher can have a lasting impact on those kids lives. That's what she intended to do. And, those who knew her better would admit that she was very good at what she was doing...

Mrs Smith looked at her class: Lizzy has hugging a doll, Paul and Dave were trying to build a castle with Legos, Nicole and Kate we drawing, and Wyatt with Ben were looking at the Harry Potter figures. 

"I wish I could go to Hogwarts" said Wyatt.

"I guess it would be cool" said Ben. "Imagine waving a wand and turning people you don't like into pigs..." Ben couldn't help but smile at the thought of playing that trick on somebody. "Yeah, that would be cool."

Wyatt smiled too, as he moved the figure's hand, pretending it to me a magic wand, towards the Spiderman figure that Ben was holding. "Hocus... pigus!" he said, under Mrs Smith's gaze.

  


I thought this would be an interesting point to stop the chapter, what would you think?

  



	4. Spiderman is stronger than Harry Potter

Thank you for the reviews! Here comes the spell's aftermath...

  


_IV. "Spiderman is stronger than Harry Potter"_

It was around 5 o'clock in the manor. Leo kept pacing around the kitchen, occasionally looking at the clock. Paige should be on her way home with Wyatt right now – but this pacing around kept making Piper, who was trying to bake a special dinner, nervous.

"Honey, don't you have any charges to tend to?"

"Piper..."

"OK, if you don't have any urgent calls, can't you at least sit down? You are making me nervous..."

"Well, you should be nervous. I mean, until he is back and we know for sure that everything is fine..."

"Leo..." she smiled, as she put her arms around her husband. "Honey, you have to calm down. Everything will be fine, you will see. Wyatt was so excited this morning to meet the other kids, he must have spent the whole day just playing with them, and shortly he is going to tell us what a great day he had. I bet he is already telling Paige all about it."

Leo smiled. Paige was by far Wyatt's favorite aunt, the one he would share all his secrets with. In fact, more than once they had to resort to her to get out of Wyatt what was bothering him. Maybe half-whitelighters shared a special bond, a magical bond that sometimes made even Piper jealous. The fact is though that Paige could get to Wyatt in a way that none of them could. Leo was secretly happy about that – he hoped that it could act as an insurance in the difficult years ahead, when Wyatt would evolve into a fully mighty magical teenager...

As if she could read his thoughts, Piper started to comment on that bond...

"And, well, even if he doesn't tell _us_, rest assured that he will tell auntie Paige about whatever happened at school..."

Yes, maybe half-whitelighters could understand each other better, or it was just Paige's open personality... as opposed to Phoebe. Leo tried to shake this thought off... As Phoebe's whitelighter, he had the responsibility to guide her... and he knew the bitterness that she hid behind the career-woman facade. The fear, the pain... The Elders had said that Phoebe would always carry some of the darkness of the Underworld within her, since she had chosen to become its Queen. And, let the truth be told, she had evolved into a true bitch. Always ready to advise others what to do, but never really dealing with her own problems – and with a long series of failed relationships in the last few years. Jason was the one to last longer – just three months... But, that bitch was an all-powerful witch as well, really boosting the Power of Three, so the Elders were happy. But, deep inside he knew that she was just a time bomb waiting to explode. 

His train of thoughts was interrupted by a happy, singing Wyatt entering the house. 

"Mommy, daddy," he cried, as he ran towards them. 

"Hi sweetie," said Piper, as she took him in her arms. "How was school?"

"Oh, mommy, it was wonderful! I met all that children; Nicole, and Lizzy, and Ben, and Dave, and Kate, and Johny – he likes Pokemon – and Joyce, and the other Joyce, and Paul. Paul said fairy tales are for girls," he said, remembering the earlier incident. "Auntie Paige, are fairy tales only for girls?"

Paige, who had of course heard the story in the car, smiled, trying to figure a good answer to that. 

"There's nothing wrong with fairy tales, baby. They all hold a truth and a message in them; so, we can all learn from them. And I think that it was very sweet what you said. But, if it bothers you, next time tell them that you like Batman or Spiderman."

"Ben likes Spiderman. He thinks that Spiderman is stronger than Harry Potter... is he, mommy?"

_How come that I always get the tough questions? _Piper didn't really know what to answer to that. 

"Well, being a superhero is definitely cool", came the answer from Phoebe, who had just entered the kitchen. "But I'd choose being a witch anytime."

"I agree with that," said Piper, commemorating their experience as superheroes. "Just don't tell that to your friends – you know, magic no-no."

"Yes, mommy, no magic..." said Wyatt, dutifully.

"So, what did you do the whole day?" came the question from Leo, who still had not calmed down.

"Oh, daddy, I had such a great time! Mrs Smith had us play with so many toys that were there, and then we went out and played in the garden, then we had lunch and nap afterwards, and she read us stories... Mommy was right, I had a great time!"

"Well, honey, mom is always right" murmured Piper, mostly to Leo. He heard that, and smiled. Apparently, the first day in kindergarten had passed without any magical incident.

  


Back at the kindergarten classroom at the Woods Academy, Mrs Smith was holding a Spiderman and a Harry Potter figure, thinking over and over what she had seen. Wyatt, a well-known child in the magical world, had cast a spell using the Harry Potter figure. She was sure of it, since she had seen the power emanating from the figure's little hand. Wyatt and the other kid – Ben, wasn't it? - might not have noticed, but, no, she was experienced in that stuff. The power left the Harry Potter figure, and tried to go to the Spiderman figure, but somehow it didn't manage to. Was Wyatt already capable of such fine control over his powers? Or had the Charmed Ones cast some protection spell to keep him from exposing himself? 

"Spiderman is stronger than Harry Potter" was what Ben had said after Wyatt did not succeed in turning the figure into a pig. _Kids' nonsense_, she thought. But, a careful examination of the figures could yield useful information about what kind of magic was in play there. If nothing else, they could serve as a probe of Wyatt's powers. 

Information her bosses would be _very _interested in.

  


Well, what do you think? Reviews, ideas, suggestions, flames – all welcome!


	5. Friends?

Thank you for the support! Some more bonding to do – and more action to come up in the next chapter...

  


_V. Friends?_

  


"I still don't understand why you have to drive him to kindergarten," said Phoebe, seeing her sister hurrying through breakfast. "The bus seems far more convenient, not to mention that it will help him relate better with the other kids."

"Sure, you are right," said Piper, who couldn't help feeling uncomfortable. Her insisting to drive Wyatt to school every day was another burden in an already heavy schedule; but, regardless of what she told Leo, she wanted to keep an eye on the school. Not that she would admit that to anybody, though. And, it also offered her an opportunity to interact with other mothers as well; but then, that was _her_ secret. "But, I think it makes him fell better, and, besides, Leo feels better if I keep an eye on him."

"Well, suit yourself. But, if you would like me or Paige to drive him, just let us know, OK?"

Phoebe was worried about Piper. Trying to be a full time witch, mother and businesswoman at the same time wasn't easy, and the fact that Leo was almost always gone didn't help much. Even though it was true that Piper had managed to delegate lots of work at P3, owning a club was a job that went well into the late hours. Being a mom was a 24/7 job, and, well, demons never asked what time it was. Getting Wyatt ready for school meant that she had to get up very early, and that had started to show in the first two weeks of Wyatt's school life.

"Don't worry, Pheebs – I like so much what I am doing."

_Not really_. After so many years of working through the problems of others, Phoebe would have a ready answer for her big sister – Piper, who had never really come to terms with being a witch, was looking for yet another escape from the magical world. Or... just a distraction. It was so obvious for San Francisco's most famous psychologist... but she would never dare to voice her thoughts. 

"Are you sure? You seem tired lately."

"Well, if you would convince those demons to stop attacking for a while, it would be nice."

"Speaking of which, did Leo find anything out from the Elders?"

There had been a surge of demonic activity lately. There was almost an attack every day, something they hadn't really seen since the days that followed their first vanquish of the Source. 

"Oh, you know the Elders – when did they know something useful? The usual stuff; possibly there is some new powerful demon that wants the throne, and tries to impress the rest of the Underworld by doing harm, and possibly by killing the Charmed Ones."

"_Possibly_?"

"Come on, Phoebe, as if you don't know them! Wyatt, honey, are you ready?" she asked her son, who just entered the kitchen with his backpack. 

"Yes, mommy... Do you have my lunchpack?"

"Sure, honey, there it is... Let's go, and don't forget your jacket..." she said, as she grabbed her car keys. "See you later, Pheebs."

"Bye aunt Phoebe – have a nice day."

"You too, Wyatt – take care."

Mother and son left, leaving Phoebe alone to her thoughts. She was really worried about Piper – it was obvious that she overstressing herself. Maybe she should have a talk with Leo about it? Reluctantly, she remembered, that back a few years ago, when under the weirdest of circumstances Paige had told Cole not to push her too far, and it had helped; but, that was a different time, it seemed almost a different life.

Phoebe made a mental note to talk to Paige about Piper – after all, she was the most direct person in the family, and she never had problems talking straight to anybody. After taking a last sip of coffee, she decided to leave for work, partially trying to get out before the next demon attack.

  


At the Woods Academy, Piper kissed Wyatt goodbye, and stayed a bit, just to see him join his classmates. He looked so happy, and it made her feel better to see that he was getting along and making friends, after spending the first years of his life with little or no interaction with other children. _No, this is normal life... _she thought. 

She looked around her. _Well, maybe Phoebe is right, it seems that I am the only mom driving her son to school. _A few seconds afterwards, though, a happy voice behind her proved her wrong – she turned to see a figure that she knew accompanying one of Wyatt's classmates. 

"Good morning, Mrs Halliwell," the dark-haired boy said. 

"Good morning, Ben," Piper greeted her son's polite friend. "Good morning, Daniella."

"Good morning, Piper, how are you? Off you go, Ben, and be a good boy..."

Ben didn't need to hear that twice, as he rushed towards the happy crowd. 

"Now, he didn't waste any time, did he?" said Piper with a smile.

"Oh, no... I guess this Mrs Smith must be a great teacher, I really cannot remember myself being so excited about school."

"Well, me neither... And Wyatt is just like that, looking forward to going to school. So, you drive him here every day?"

"I guess you can say that I am being kind of overprotective, and, the truth is that Ben can be lots of trouble if he decides to, so I am kind of trying to keep an eye on him. By the way, I think that he is becoming close to Wyatt..."

"Yes, I think so too. Wyatt keeps telling me about 'Ben this' and 'Ben that'..."

"Same over here..."

Piper took a good look at Daniella. She seemed so friendly and nice... Piper felt she could trust her, and she was happy that Wyatt's best friend came from an apparently nice family, at least judging from his mother. But, being overprotective herself, she thought that a little spying wouldn't hurt... And, she would like to learn more about Daniella, Ben and their family...

"But, I must admit, he is wonderful. Wyatt is an only child, and he is so excited being around other children... and it's nice for him to have a close friend. How about you, do you have other children?"

"Not really... Actually, Ben is not my son, he is my nephew. But he is an only child, too."

"Wow, you seem so close..."

Daniella smiled. "Well, he never knew his mother, and with my brother traveling all over the world due to his job, we get to spend lots of time together. I am still at college, so I have a flexible schedule, and I can be at home a lot."

"Really?" came the answer from a surprised Piper. The way Daniella dressed, not to mention the BMW she drove, didn't fit the description of a college student. "What are you studying?"

"Well, it's a long story – I used to work for a law firm, but I decided to take a year's leave to take up an MBA course. Thankfully the firm supports that. So, I am basically a lawyer, trying to get a business degree..."

"That's nice... I wish I had the opportunity to do it. But then, I never was really the studying type."

"So, what do you do?"

"Oh, I own this club, P3."

"P3? Really?"

"You know it?"

"I used to hang out there a few years ago... I still go there occasionally. I guess that's why you looked so familiar the first time I saw you."

"Well, I keep running into people that know me; I guess that's part of the good side of the job. So, might I invite you for a drink?"

"Sure... how about this Friday?"

"See you at P3 then..."

"See you, and have a nice day..."

"You too, take care," said Piper, taking a good look at Daniella. She couldn't help liking her. Inside, she hoped that it wasn't just Wyatt who had found a friend; she hoped that she had found one, too.


	6. Underworld

Hi! Sorry for the delay in updayting... As I promised, some more action in this chapter – time to get to know the bad guys of this story...

  


_VI. Underworld_

  


The alchemist hurried his way through the cold, dark cave-like tunnels that formed what once was known as the capital of the realm of the Source. By the way he kept looking over his shoulder, one could easily say that he wasn't feeling safe. In fact, nobody was; in the chaos that had followed the vanquish of the Source and the loss of the Grimoire, faction fighting and killings were almost a daily routine in those long corridors. 

Oh, yes, the vanquish of the Source. Even though he hadn't been loved or popular among his subjects – how could anyone achieve something like that in the Underworld – even though he had been a tyrant in the possibly worst sense of the word, he had granted peace to the Underworld. Back then, nobody would have been afraid to walk around. Nowadays, all those upper-levels and aspiring Source-to-be demons had rendered the Underworld a real nightmare, even to its natural inhabitants. 

The alchemist looked in terror behind him, as he heard something like footsteps. Nothing, probably nothing. After all, why would somebody come after him? He was a low-profile demon, concentrating in his craft rather in the pursuit of power. But then, that was his current client's expertise. 

He had been very surprised to see Meldis enter his study two weeks ago. Of course he had heard of him; for the time being, he was the strongest among the throne's suiters. There was the feeling that, had it not been for the Grimoire being lost, he would already have been coronated. But then, he couldn't really get coronated without the Grimoire, and that served the purposes of his adversaries pretty well.

But, the strangest of all was his request; to figure out the magic in two dolls, two toys used by human children. What would an aspiring Source would want with human toys? And, that was just the beginning of a strange story...

The alchemist slowed down, as he reached the entrance to Meldis's domain. In his old figure, he was no match for the muscular guards; and, he wasn't in a mood for a fight, either. He lowered his hood, allowing the guards to see the old face of one of the Underworld's most respected wise demons. 

"Alchemist", came the acknowledgment from one of the guards. "Please, let me escort you inside; Meldis is expecting you."

In response, the alchemist raised again his hood, and followed the guard inside.

  


In what seemed to be the main hall, or rather cave, of Meldis's domain, a black-dressed man, seemingly in his early thirties, was leaning on a table, while speaking with someone, whose dressing revealed that he was a dark high priest. As the guard went to the black dressed man, whom he recognized as being Meldis, the alchemist took a short look at the rest of the room. That guy did have an impressive collection of books, most of them leather bound and very old looking. Over the fireplace that gave the room's lighting a unique color, there was a unique collection of eastern-style weapons; rumors were that Meldis was a fan of martial arts, more as a sport, since with his powers, he didn't really to resort to them. 

His attention was almost immediately diverted to the girl who entered the room, carrying drinks for Meldis and the priest. How could it not? The girl, dressed in the revealing clothes of an oriental dancer, could count among the most beautiful creatures the alchemist had seen in the centuries of his life. He watched her offer a glass of a red drink to the priest, and then approaching Meldis. The nervousness in her movements revealed the fear she felt of her master. He saw her pulling back as Meldis tried to grab her behind; a move that enraged the archdemon, who with a wave of his hand send her flying against the wall. 

The priest turned casually to see the impact, and the unconscious girl lying on the floor. 

"Whitelighters", commented Meldis. "Stupid creatures, difficult to tame – but one has to admit that their women have undeniable gifts."

_Yes, of course._ The alchemist took a quick glimpse of the orb-restraining collar around the girl's neck. Whitelighters have always been beautiful creatures, and very difficult to catch alive. That's why they would cost a fortune at the slave market. 

His train of thoughts was interrupted by Meldis. 

"Alchemist... I was expecting you earlier."

"I apologize my lord. The task you asked me to complete was very complicated."

"Complicated? How complicated can it be to do a magic probing?"

"Depends on the magic involved, my lord."

No, he wasn't afraid of Meldis; the alchemist knew that the faction leader needed him. And, he had a few tricks under his sleeve if it came to that. But, it was better to keep in his good graces. 

"And, what kind of magic have you come up with this time?"

"A very strange one."

"Like?" Meldis was getting impatient. 

"Well, my lord, the doll that resembles the wizard has traces of normal witchcraft, in form of a spell, but cast from a very highly gifted witch. It also has some traces of whitelighter magic, but the witch part is the dominant one."

"Makes sense..." muttered Meldis. "And, what was so complicated about that?"

"My lord, the complicated part was the other doll."

"The _other_ doll? You mean the spider figure?"

"Yes, my lord, the one humans call Spiderman. It contains traces of general immunity magic."

"General immunity magic? What is that?"

"I am not so sure, my lord. I have to say that I have never seen such magic before. But, it is kind of like the magic making some of us immune to witch powers. Only that this spell or magic would have protected against all known kinds of magic."

"There is no such spell or magic, alchemist."

"I used to think so, my lord. But, it would be the only thing that would make sense, based on my analysis."

"How strong would you think that such a spell would be?"

"Strong enough to ward off fireballs, but good magic as well. You could say that someone protected by such a spell would be invincible, or, if you prefer, unvanquishable."

Meldis frowned. If the Charmed Ones had come up with a spell that strong, it would be very bad news.

"Do you have any more details regarding that protection spell?"

"My lord, I am working on it. But it will take more time."

"OK. You are dismissed."

The alchemist was releaved to leave the room. Meldis was knew well how to inspire fear. _Imagine what it will be like if he becomes the Source..._ he thought. But then, the alchemist secretly hoped that he would make it; at least it would put an end to the chaos the Underworld had been in for the last six years. 

  


Back in the hall, Meldis was continuing his conversation with the dark priest. 

"A spell to protect from both dark and white magic? To the point of being unvanquishable?" Meldis still couldn't believe the alchemist's words. 

"My lord, it's not totally unheard of. Rumors are that, shortly before his death, Belthazor had reached that level, too. And, given his relationship to the Charmed Ones, it might be possible..."

_Belthazor... That traitor was the cause of his current troubles..._

"And how did he die, if he was unvanquishable indeed? Rumors, my friend, just rumors."

"Then, there is the possibility that this power is due to the enhanced magic of the little boy. He has been known to have put around him a protective force field ever since he was a baby."

"That's more likely. But, we can't be sure... and if the Charmed Ones have come up with such a spell..."

"All the more reason to the plan I suggested."

"You are not expecting me to seriously consider marrying a witch, are you?"

"This witch used to be the Queen of the Underworld, my lord. She has a connection to the Grimoire, and with it missing, she might be the only way to tap into the Grimoire's powers – and thus, to receive the full powers of the Underworld."

"Easy for you to say... Marrying a human, a witch of all things!"

"Well, for as long as it serves your purposes. After you find the Grimoire, you could just consider her a part of your collection..." said the dark priest, pointing at the still unconscious whitelighter. 

"I'll have to think about that," said Meldis. "For now, I think I'll just have some fun with the current parts of it... You are dismissed."

The dark priest bowed in respect, and then headed to the exit. Meldis smiled, took a last sip of his drink, and then moved toward the girl. 

  


************************************************************************************

  


So, what do you think? Phoebe is in trouble, for sure... and Meldis is gathering all information he can about the Charmed Ones! All ideas, suggestions, flames are welcomed!


	7. The honeymoon is over

Hi again! Sorry for the delay in updating... Here comes the next chapter, with some explanations about the kindergarten teacher...

  


_VII. The honeymoon is over_

  


Meanwhile, Mrs Smith was having trouble with her ten kindergarten students... Of course, she was an experienced teacher, she had done this for over twenty-five years now; and, truth be told, she no longer had the stamina to run after those little demons... Time had never been soft on humans, and she knew that she wouldn't escape that fate. 

Yeah, now she knew. But, back then, she hadn't known... 

_Back then, she was still in her early twenties, at the height of her youth. Still in college, and dreaming to live her life to the fullest. So, she led a wild life, trying out everything; sex, alcohol,drugs, alternative teachings, cults... That's how she met Meldis. Oh, Meldis..._

Her daydreaming was interrupted by Kate screaming. 

"Mrs Smith, Nicole took my doll!!!"

Truth be told, Mrs Smith had noticed almost immediately that Nicole was up to some mischief, but the best thing she could do right now was to play the peace keeper. Even though it was not the first time Nicole was causing trouble.

"Nicole, please give the doll back to Kate."

"But, Mrs Smith, I was the one to take it first."

"No, I did!" said an almost angry Kate. "You played with it yesterday. Today you took the Barbie doll."

"Well, you can have it..." said Nicole, almost reluctantly, but yet with a faked air of superiority. 

Mrs Smith was glad that the incident was over – and she failed to notice the way Wyatt was looking at Nicole during the whole incident. Indeed, that "air of superiority" that Nicole kept around herself acted like a magnet to Wyatt... she was so clever, and so beautiful...

"Kate is always overreacting", he whispered to Ben. 

Ben, on the other hand, didn't like girls that much... "Girls..." he muttered back to his friend, "always making fuss about nothing."After that, they returned to their legos.

As soon as her youngsters were playing peacefully again, Mrs Smith went back to her daydreaming.

_Meldis was without doubt one of the most handsome men she had met. They met at a talk about UFOs... Halfway through the talk, she had decided that they guy giving the talk was totally nuts, and she was about to leave, when she noticed Meldis sitting two rows behind her... Very good looking, very masculine, a possibility surely worth exploiting... She moved next to him, he was apparently as bored from the lecture as she was, and... to cut a long story short, next day they woke up together, after a night of passion._

_More passionate nights followed the first one – in retrospect, lots of alcohol and marijuana had contributed to it more than any chemistry between her and Meldis. And then, he started to introduce her to the dark side. And, as he did that, he started revealing his true face. "The honeymoon is over", he told her. But, it was too late for her to run away. Even though their "affair" was short-lived, she had a relationship for life. And not the type she had wished for. _

"Mrs Smith, Nicole took my doll again!" 

It seemed that this was not going to be an easy day, and she had to deal with Nicole.

"Nicole..."

"But, Mrs Smith..."

"No buts, Nicole. Go to the corner, and stay there."

With a strange air of dignity, Nicole went to the corner without saying a word.

Mrs Smith watched her for a short while. _She had become a teacher in order to help children, trying to balance out the occasional assignments Meldis forced her to carry out. Even though they were as trivial as bringing information or delivering messages, she knew that they were part of a larger evil plan. She wanted out, but she knew he would kill her. And now, he had invaded the only pure part of her life, her school, by asking her to spy on Wyatt..._

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the anger in Wyatt's face, as he watched his favorite Nicole in the corner.

"I think Mrs Smith is evil", he whispered to Ben.

Ben looked at him, with a sudden seriousness in his face. One could say that he agreed with his friend. 

"Then, we should do something about it", said the youngster with a strange resolution. 

  



	8. Complications

OK guys... That's a double update... And, just as if things weren't complicated enough, some more...

  


_VIII. Complications_

P3 was thriving with life. And the mere sight of it sufficed to make Piper very happy; after all, she had spend many hours on the phone trying to convince the band manager for these two special appearances. And, as always, it had cost a fortune to have them play there; but, with so many people tonight, she was sure that it was worth it.

The waitresses were all too busy taking orders, and the two cashiers at the bar were working non-stop. Everything looked like a well-oiled machine. Relieved at the sight, and feeling really tired, she decided to accept Paige's invitation to join her and have a drink. 

"You look really tired, Piper. Maybe you should just call it a day and go home?"

"Oh, Paige, the night is still young... And, between you and me, I think Phoebe is coming over later, together with her new beau. I overheard her talking to him on the phone earlier... Wouldn't you be curious?"

"Well, I am... even though I am starting to lose count!"

"You didn't know her during her New York times... And, being a witch and all isn't exactly helping for relationships – I mean, how many did _you _date before ending up with Jonathan?"

Jonathan was Paige's fiance; he had been their innocent almost a year and a half ago, and Paige's beau ever since. Thanks to their way of meeting, Jonathan had known the family's secret all along – and that had helped a lot. They were planning to get married at Christmas. And, Paige had never been happier.

"Well, not everyone is fortunate enough to get an angel for a husband... So for the rest of us..." 

"I guess you wouldn't change him for an angel..."

"No, I am not..."

"So, what do you think Phoebe's new beau will be like?"

"By her record, no angel..."

"Paige, I think you should stop being suspicious of every single new boyfriend of Phoebe's..."

"Better safe than sorry... And you have to admit, our sister has a peculiar taste in men..."

"Well, I thought Jason was OK..."

"Especially when he started spending 10 months a year in Hong-Kong!"

"Paige... shusss.. there they come... she can't know we had been gossiping..."

Paige caught a quick glimpse of the couple, trying to seem as casual as possible. 

"Well, Piper, you have to admit that our sister has not lost her taste in men; this guy is very... yummy. What's his name, anyway?"

"Shame on you, Paige! You are supposed to get married in two months... Yummy, yes, that's the word... I think his name is Carl, but I am not sure. Anyway, I think she is planning on introducing him to us later... Ooohhhh, I forgot all about this one..." she said, as she caught a glimpse of Daniella entering the bar.

"What did you forget about, honey?"

"Well, there's this lady I met at Wyatt's school, she's Ben's aunt, and I invited her over to get to know her better. Wrong timing, though..."

"Ben's, as in Ben, Wyatt's best friend from kindergarten? Wow, this is going to be an interesting night..."  
"She seems a nice woman, but you know, in our line of work..."

"Better safe than sorry. And you keep telling me about Phoebe's boyfriends."

"At least, I keep the 'innocent until proven guilty' part. Now, if you would excuse me, I think I should invite my guest to the table..."

Paige watched her sister going to a young, trendy woman. _Hmm, definitely good, and expensive, taste. Nice smile and beautiful green eyes; that kind of smile points to a good heart... _Paige decided not to let her whitelighter part take over; after all, the highlight of the evening would be Phoebe's new boyfriend, she would have a lot of work to do analyzing him. _For now, let's just have some fun..._

"Daniella, meet Paige; Paige is my younger sister. Paige, Daniella is Ben's aunt..."

"So, the famous Ben... Nice to meet you Daniella..."

"Nice to meet you too, Paige."

This was the beginning of a conversation that lasted a Smirnoff for Daniella and two beers for Piper; Paige had, as always, restricted herself to two Cokes... They talked about work, kids, and Paige was rather curious to learn about how Daniella had ended up living with her brother. 

"Well, there's not much to say, really... I moved to San Francisco four years ago due to work. When I got here, I stayed at my brother's as a temporary arrangement. In fact, it still is a temporary arrangement, but well, he's got a big house, and needs someone to look after Ben, because he keeps traveling due to his work. Of course there is a nanny, but you always feel better is there is someone from the family..."

"You tell me that; it's hard enough to trust someone with your child when you are away just for a few hours; let alone for a few days... I can't even start to think of it!" Piper started to sympathize with Ben's father.

"He seems to think this way too..."

"But, how about his mother?" asked Paige.

"Unfortunately, Ben never knew his mother. She had problems with the pregnancy from the very beginning, there were complications and... well, let's say that at least we have Ben. That's part of the reason my brother is so attached to his son; he kind of keeps the memory of his wife alive. He is the only thing he has left from her. You could say that it Ben is the only reason that has kept him sane and alive through all this."

"Sorry to hear that..." said Piper. The stranger's drama had started to touch her. 

But the drama was interrupted by Phoebe and her boyfriend.

"Hi everybody", said Phoebe. "This is Carl. Carl, meet Piper, and Paige, my sisters."

"Nice to meet you, Carl", said Piper. "Oh, Daniella, meet Phoebe, our middle sister... and Carl. Daniella is a friend from Woods Academy, she's Ben's aunt."

"Nice to meet you, Daniella," said Phoebe.

"Nice to meet you too, Phoebe", said Daniella, whilst offering Phoebe a rather cold handshake. Paige saw that, and thought that she was still absorbed in her brother's story. 

Then, Daniella turned to Carl. "Carl... long time no see..." Paige was rather puzzled at this one, but Daniella didn't seem overly friendly toward Carl. 

"Daniella Parker... What are you doing in San Francisco?"

"As I was about to ask you the same thing..."

"You guys know each other?" asked Piper.

"Long story... work related. We met at a... case, a few years ago..."

"Lawyers, meeting all sorts of people", said Piper. "So, Carl, are you a lawyer, too?"

"Used to be... I run a consulting business nowadays."

"Hopefully not the kind of consulting Phoebe does..."

"No, I wouldn't dream of giving advice on people's love lives! I am into more practical matters... And I prefer it if women remain a mystery..." In saying that, he took Phoebe's had and kissed it, making her blush and Paige think that they were a cute couple, indeed.

As the discussion tended to evolve into family matters, Daniella excused herself and left, not before giving Carl a deadly glare, though. Paige didn't miss this one, and she started wondering whether she liked Daniella, Carl or both. But, the friendly discussion continued until after midnight, and certainly Carl had the time to make his way into the hearts of the remaining Charmed Ones. After all, he was known for having his way with women.

  


In the Underworld, in the same hall where he was talking to the dark priest a week ago, Carl, or Meldis, as he was known down there, summoned an upper-level demon; just one of those aspiring to climb up the ladder if he ever became the Source.

"Find out what the hell Daniella Parker is doing in San Francisco", he said. The demon shimmered out immediately.

"Nobody will interfere with my plan", he said, smashing the glass he held into the wall. 


End file.
